French Macarons are a very difficult desert to make. They require precision for things like folding the meringue and whipping the egg whites. But in the end if you make them right, they taste divine. (This is a very precise recipe. If you want to make your own macarons, find a recipe that fits your tools and ingredients.)

Tools needed:

• Glass or metal bowls – Using plastic can make it so that your egg whites won’t whip right due to the porousness of the bowl.
• Egg separator (optional) – It’s useful but not necessary. Another way is to wet your hands and pour the egg in your hand letting the whites drop into the bowl through your fingers.
• Food scale (optional but recommended) – The precision with the scale helps make the perfect macarons.
• Electric mixer – Preferably use a handheld so you have more control compared to the stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment.
• Fine mesh sieve – Using a sieve will make your almond flour finer and reduce lumps and make the tops of your macarons smooth.
• Piping bag & tip – You can use either a disposable or reusable bag. When choosing a tip, use one that has a round tip.
• Baking sheet & liner – You can use parchment paper, or if you have one you can use a silicone mat that has circle outlines for precision.

Ingredients:

• Egg whites – This will be the base of your macaron cookies. A tip would be to age the egg whites by leaving them covered in the fridge a day prior, before starting make sure your eggs are room temperature. This improves elasticity making your meringue have a better consistency.
• Cream of Tartar – This is an additive that helps the egg whites hold air and prevents the meringue from collapsing.
• Sugar – Its preferred you use superfine sugar which can be made by either using a food processor or a blender and pulse blending it for 10 seconds
• Fine almond flour – This is the other most important ingredient besides the sugar. when measuring use your sieve to get it super fine.
• Confectioners sugar – The confectioners sugar adds bulk and sweetness to the macarons.
• Coloring (optional) – Recommended you use gel, but you can use powder in small amounts.

Steps:

1. Prep your ingredients: Make your superfine sugar if you have a bender or food processor. Don’t forget to age your egg whites a day prior.

2. 

   To make your meringue add your cream of tartar to your egg whites and beat until soft peaks form. This will start off with bubbles that tighten, and the meringue will look white in color. You will now add your sugar. This will be added in 3 additions until you form stiff peaks. The difference between soft and stiff peaks are that you can flip your bowl over your head when you’ve formed stiff peaks. This is when you add your food coloring. Make sure you add this now or else you won’t get the chance again. Either fold or beat on slow to incorporate the color.

3. We will now start to combine the dry ingredients. You want to sift the almond flour and the confectioners’ sugar together in a larger bowl. With the larger bowl, you’ll have better control over the batter and more room. When sifting, use a spoon to push the larger pieces so you don’t waste any flour or sugar.
4. Just like the sugar you’re going to add this in 3 additions. Fold in a circular motion until all of the meringue is added. You

   

   should end up with a batter that falls off the spatula in ribbons like honey instead of clumps. You can test this by making a figure 8. After a few second the batter should sink back into itself.

5. Now is the fun part, pouring the batter into the piping bag. You can do this by placing your piping bag into a large cup folding the excess bag over the rim of the cup. You’ll then pipe the batter into circles on your mat/parchment. Try to keep them in even sizes, but if you can’t, it’s ok. Just match them up by size in the end. When this is done, bang the pan on your counter 2-3 times to release extra air bubble within the batter.
6. Now let your cookies sit for a 30-60 minutes, just until they aren’t tacky to the touch. When they are finished setting, bake at 325°F for 13 minutes. Do not over bake, or they will burn. When done baking let sit for 15 minutes.
7. Your macaron buns are now ready to put together. Take your favorite buttercream and pipe it in a circular motion on one cookie and sandwich the two cookies together.

Your tasty macarons are ready to serve. These delicious french treats are perfect for a more professional event but can be served as a casual snack. You’re sure to impress someone with these hard to make treats. When done correctly, this is a perfect recipe to share and make.